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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27408352">Did you hear that?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EarlGreyForMe/pseuds/EarlGreyForMe'>EarlGreyForMe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Strikesgiving 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:01:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>684</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27408352</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EarlGreyForMe/pseuds/EarlGreyForMe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Strike decides to lean in to that whole talking thing — and sings. Well, sort of.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Robin Ellacott &amp; Cormoran Strike</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Strikesgiving 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2002348</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Did you hear that?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Inspired by prompt #4 of the awesome Strikesgiving 2020 series. I initially tried to keep this piece super-short — but the characters had other ideas. I’d like to think that if Strike was in a really good place, he would be brave enough to share his deepest feelings with his best mate. ☺️</p>
<p>Warning: You might want to grab some tissues.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Did you hear that?”</p>
<p>“Hear what?”</p>
<p>“My heart.”</p>
<p>“What? What’s wrong? Should I call -“</p>
<p>“Shhhhhh. Just when I’m certain my heart couldn’t be any more full, you do something else, something unexpected — something in addition to all the little, everyday things you do that fill my heart — and I swear I can hear it sing.”</p>
<p>“Sing?”</p>
<p>“Now is not the time for mocking, Ellacott. I’m baring my soul here, trying that talking thing you keep referencing.” </p>
<p>“I’m sorry, my love. Go on.”</p>
<p>“That’s one right there: using ‘my love’ at the end of a sentence. It’s a small thing. Maybe you don’t even think about it but ... all those little things you do: making a perfect cup of tea; packing perfectly delicious travel snacks; giving the perfect gift, clearly imbued with such thoughtfulness and care. All those everyday things you do, they fill my heart. They have for a very long time. </p>
<p>But then there are these unexpected things. Robin, I swear they hit me like a knockout punch - forcing all of the air out of my lungs - but these moments are also so gentle and so unbelievably quiet. It’s the most bizarre juxtaposition. It’s the world turned upside down. Thinking you knew it all, then suddenly realizing you knew nothing. Now, I’m not exactly a ‘spring chicken’ -“</p>
<p>“Hey, don’t disrespect the man I love. I mean it. I’ll kick your ass.” </p>
<p>“Of that, I have no doubt. However if you will indulge me in a brief review of the facts, I promise to do my best to avoid any disparaging remarks. Okay?”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>“What I meant to say is that after 40 plus years on the earth, there seems to be less and less that can truly surprise a person. Time allows for experience, in every area of life, and after a great deal of time, it can seem that one has experienced most things. Like, every possible way chicken could be prepared. Or every possible weather outcome for Christmas Day. Or every possible route from London to family outside London. </p>
<p>“We’ve both had relationships with other people. I imagine we both know how it feels when the other person does something sweet or kind. It feels good. It feels nice. I’m familiar with those types of things, I’ve encountered them before in my many trips around the sun. </p>
<p>“But you ... you somehow manage to do things I’ve never ... well, I ... I’ve never experienced ... frankly, I didn’t even ... okay. This is getting away from me. I’m sorry. It’s hard to explain. </p>
<p>“The little things you do, the small, everyday kindnesses, I was familiar with those types of things - in theory, if not always in practice - before we met. Those little things remind me daily that I’m not dreaming, that what I once believed to be utterly impossible is now real. That alone is a miracle unto itself, and no one can tell me otherwise. </p>
<p>“But then there are these other, wholly unexpected things that ... when we’re in bed and lying next to one another, I am very happy to be the Big Spoon.  Sheer size dictates that should be my role and it’s a role I am very happy to have. I love to hold you — but that first time, that first time when you were lying on your side behind me and you wrapped your arm around me, you held me so tightly and so tenderly. There was this fierce protectiveness and, at the same time, such gentle love in your embrace. I was stunned. I had never felt anything like it before. I didn’t know it could feel like that. I didn’t know I could feel like that. And I wondered, is this what being the Little Spoon feels like? So utterly safe and so unbelievably loved?  And instantly I knew: It’s not the position. It was you. </p>
<p>“Lying here now, being held by you — my cup runneth over, in ways I never even knew were possible. And my heart, Robin, my heart is singing.”</p>
<p>“Strike?”</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“Did you hear that?”</p>
<p>“Hear what?”</p>
<p>“My heart, my love. My heart. It’s singing.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I really struggled with this. I was aiming for around 100 words but NO. It ended up being much longer and much more open/honest/intimate than initially imagined. </p>
<p>Again, I’m still figuring out this whole writing thing so please forgive any errors. I promise to work on my proofreading skills. 🥴😁</p></blockquote></div></div>
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